过去进行时

A2 Past continuous 24 / 50

概要

过去进行时（was/were + 动词-ing）用来表示过去某一时刻正在进行的动作。它常常用来交代背景或场景，而一般过去时则用来讲述较短的、已经完成的事件。

过去进行时表示某个动作在过去某一时刻已经在进行——已经开始，但还没有结束。

我们用它来：

描述过去某一具体时刻正在进行的动作。 At 8 p.m. I was cooking dinner.（我 8 点之前就开始了，8 点时还在做饭。）
给出一个较长的背景动作，被一个较短的一般过去时动作打断。 短事件前用 when，长动作前用 while。 I was reading when the phone rang. While I was reading, the lights went out.
表示两个较长的动作同时发生。 She was studying while he was cooking.
在故事开头交代场景。 The sun was shining and the birds were singing.

关键区别：

时态	在句子里的作用
过去进行时	正在进行的较长动作／背景
一般过去时	较短的、已完成的动作／主要事件

状态动词（know、want、like、have = 拥有、be）在这里通常不用进行时：要说 I knew the answer，而不是 I was knowing。（完整列表见现在进行时。）

主语 + was/were + 动词-ing：

主语	was/were	-ing
I / he / she / it	was	working
you / we / they	were	working

否定式——在 was/were 后面加 not：

完整形式	缩略形式
I was not sleeping	I wasn’t sleeping
They were not sleeping	They weren’t sleeping

疑问式——把 was/were 移到主语前面：

类型	例句	简答
一般疑问句	Was she driving?	Yes, she was. / No, she wasn’t.
Wh-	What were you doing?	I was waiting for the bus.

-ing 的拼写： make -> making（去掉词尾的 e），sit -> sitting（双写词尾辅音字母），lie -> lying（ie -> y）。

English	说明
At midnight we were still dancing.	过去某个明确时刻正在进行的动作。
I was waiting at the station when the train arrived.	较长的背景动作 + 较短的一般过去时事件。
While the kids were sleeping, Dad cooked breakfast.	While + 较长的动作；后面接较短的动作。
Tom was watching TV while Mia was doing her homework.	两个较长的动作同时发生。
It was raining hard, and the wind was blowing.	在故事里交代场景。
What were you doing at six o’clock yesterday?	Wh- 疑问句；was/were 放在主语前面。
She wasn’t listening, so she missed the news.	否定式：动作当时没有在进行。
I cut my finger while I was chopping onions.	一般过去时 = 事件；过去进行时 = 背景。

I was knowing the answer -> I knew the answer——状态动词不用进行时。
When I was cooking, I burn my hand -> When I was cooking, I burnt my hand——较短的、已完成的事件要用一般过去时。
We was watching a film -> We were watching a film——you/we/they 要用 were。
While I read, the phone rang -> While I was reading, the phone rang——while 通常搭配较长的、正在进行的动作。
What you were doing? -> What were you doing?——疑问句里要把 was/were 移到主语前面。